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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25739878">Snog the Prat</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/meltedheartofice/pseuds/meltedheartofice'>meltedheartofice</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:27:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25739878</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/meltedheartofice/pseuds/meltedheartofice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Throughout the years, Hermione and Ginny offer each other advice about a certain pair of immature, infuriating boys.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry/Ginny, Hermione &amp; Ginny, Ron/Hermione</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Snog the Prat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was the summer of the World Cup when she first noticed something odd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Generally, Ginny Weasley was more focused on every word about Harry Potter that Ron might let slip when she was around; but she began to notice that the way Ron talked about Hermione’s upcoming visit was...different, somehow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was waiting by the fireplace when her parents returned from the floo trip to receive her: first mum, then dad, then Ron, and finally Hermione. They exchanged vague pleasantries by the fireplace while Ginny waited to show Hermione to her room, but behind them was an odd sort of tension--as if there were something more grave than the World Cup approaching on the horizon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fred and George appeared on the stairwell, and then Ginny felt a nudge on her shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Gin. Bet you’re disappointed it wasn’t Harry. Were you prepared to recite another sonnet?” Fred teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>His eyes are as green as a…’” </span>
  </em>
  <span>George mocked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come off it!” Ginny retorted, and she saw Hermione start at her sudden outburst. “At least I have the courage to speak up. I don’t recall either of you ever telling someone you fancy her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny stood, arms crossed, glaring at her older brothers, before remembering Ron’s guest, who was now staring at her with a stunned silence that matched her brothers’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She relaxed her expression, putting on a smile before turning to Hermione.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hermione, let me show you upstairs. You’ll be staying with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The older girl nodded and followed silently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry about that,” Ginny chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s no trouble. I’ve just never seen Fred and George go quiet before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, with six brothers, I’ve got to learn to stand up for myself, haven’t I? Anyway, I’m sorry if it was awkward for you. Especially if you and Harry…” Ginny carefully eyed Hermione’s expression toward her implication, but the latter seemed distracted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry? Oh! No, it’s not like that at all between Harry and me. Promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny smiled; Hermione seemed genuine. She had worried that her embarrassing little crush would get in the way of forming any sort of friendship with the third member of Harry and Ron’s trio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess they must seem more like brothers to you after spending all of that time together,” Ginny suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione nodded. “Something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny didn’t miss the blush that suddenly rose in Hermione’s cheeks; she simply continued on the tour of the Burrow’s many residences.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*************************************************************************************************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t until the Yule Ball that the subject came up again between the two, as they processed Ron’s abrupt suggestion about partnering for the event.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry you didn’t get to go to the ball with Harry,” Hermione said suddenly, “But I appreciate you being loyal to Neville. He’s really great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny smiled. “I agree. And after all, it was Ron’s suggestion, not Harry’s. I don’t want to be forced on him like some sort of consolation prize.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly!” Hermione turned toward Ginny, more animated now. “He needs to learn to see you for who you are on his own. The best thing you can do is be your own person, see other people, and get to know him naturally.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny nodded. “I suppose you’re right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I can’t believe Ron thinks I’m pathetic enough to lie about having a date” she continued, eyes downcast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hermione, that’s not it at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” she looked suddenly interested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny debated whether to continue. “Honestly? He’s just jealous.  I think it’s just his way of handling the rejection.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rejection? It’s not like he asked me for real.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because he would never pluck up the courage to ask! He would never think that he deserved you. He may be a Gryffidor, but Ron has always been insecure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” She looked surprised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny blinked. “Of course. After everything my brothers put him through, after being friends with the most famous wizard of his age and the smartest witch of her age...you must know that’s why he was so angry with Harry earlier this year!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione was now turned toward the redhead, clearly interested in what she had to say. She seemed to shake off Ginny’s words and regain her composure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it doesn't matter anyway. I already have a date, and if he doesn’t, that’s his own fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. Not your problem, so don’t worry about it,” Ginny concluded, but something told her that Hermione would, in fact, think more on the subject.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*************************************************************************************************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next time Ginny brought up the subject of her brother’s and Hermione’s obvious mutual attraction was at Grimmauld Place, when Ron’s fear of spiders caused him to abruptly leave the room and Hermione’s gaze lingered on him. In spite of shaking her head at her friend’s intense phobia, there was a smile on her lips and a faint blush as she watched him go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Ginny began, startling Hermione out of her obvious daydream and causing her to blush further, “You’ll have to be the one to make the first move.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With Ron. If you ever want anything to happen, you’ll have to make it blatantly obvious that you fancy him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t--” she began, but Ginny’s reproachful look cut her off. Hermione crossed her arms and heaved a sigh. “Well, I guess it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>blatantly obvious if you figured it out. And if he hasn’t said anything, clearly he doesn’t feel the same.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny rolled her eyes. “You’re either underestimating me or overestimating him. He obviously fancies you, and he’s obviously too much of a coward to do anything about it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well maybe there’s a good reason! With everything that’s happened, we need to be there for Harry--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who isn’t here right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And who doesn’t need his best friends carrying on without him while he begs for any sort of news!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny went silent at this, then softened. “I guess that’s fair. There are important things happening...but still, I don’t think you and Ron fancying each other has anything to do with that! Plenty of people fall in love during wars.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Judging by Hermione’s silent gaze, she was ready to drop the subject.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do feel bad for Harry throughout all of this,” she offered, and the two went back to work, allowing themselves time to fret over the injustice of it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>************************************************************************************************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny looked up to find a beaming Hermione, and searched her brain for one of Hermione’s many academic worries that she may be referencing. She raised an eyebrow at her friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione sat down next to Ginny at the table in the common room, leaning in to elaborate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did it! I asked Ron to go to Slughorn’s party with me! It was a bit of a disaster, we were in the middle of Herbology and having an argument and Harry was breaking things and making an awful racket, but I did it! And he said yes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fantastic! And he knows you don’t just mean as friends?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course! I mean, I think he does. I definitely didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>say </span>
  </em>
  <span>‘as friends’, but maybe--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right, but still, good for you! I’m happy for you! Don’t know what in the world you see in my brother, but--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry and Ron entered the common room, and Hermione abruptly changed the subject to questions about Ginny’s OWL revision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>************************************************************************************************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not much time had passed on the night where Ginny entered the common room, fuming, and, instead of heading toward the fifth years’ dormitory, continued on to the sixth years’ to find Hermione.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione was sitting on her bed--reading, of course--when Ginny abruptly sat down. Hermione’s stunned and slightly scared expression told Ginny that she looked as angry as she felt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ginny? What is it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My absolute </span>
  <em>
    <span>git </span>
  </em>
  <span>of an older brother just found me in the corridor with Dean and gave me some moralistic bullshit about how I spend my time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How </span>
  <em>
    <span>were </span>
  </em>
  <span>you spending your time in the corridor with Dean?” Hermione asked, eyebrow raised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just because he’s never had any sort of relationship in his life! I swear, Hermione, you need to just snog the prat before he drives us all insane. Just because </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> feels insecure--” She stood up and turned on her heel to see two other girls, Lavender and Parvati, observing her angry rant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione cleared her throat. “I can try to talk to him, if you think it might help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Thanks, Hermione. Sorry to barge in on you like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No worries. Goodnight, Ginny.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny briefly acknowledged the other two girls before heading back to her dormitory, trying not to fixate on Harry’s reaction to her snogging Dean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*************************************************************************************************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next night, it was Hermione who stormed into Ginny’s dormitory as she struggled to finish a potions essay. Generally not one to distract others from homework, she seemed nearly hysterical as she strode to the younger girl’s bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ginny,” she started, with forced calm; “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly </span>
  </em>
  <span>was it that you said to Ron last night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny blinked. “Dunno. A lot of things. I do tend to go off when I get angry...why do you ask?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because he’s been </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful </span>
  </em>
  <span>to me all day!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? What a--! What have you got to do with anything? You weren’t snogging anyone in the corridor, were you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! I’ve hardly had an active dating life. I’ve only ever gone to the Yule Ball with--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny’s hand flew to her mouth. “Merlin’s beard, he can’t be that immature, can he?” she asked no one in particular.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? What is it, Ginny?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>may </span>
  </em>
  <span>have mentioned that everyone else has more...experience than him. Like Harry with Cho, and…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And me with Krum,” Hermione dropped down onto Ginny’s bed, looking defeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit, Hermione, I’m so sorry. My brother is a prat and you deserve better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione sighed. “Right. Well. This is on him to fix, since I haven’t even done anything wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. What an awful--I’ll try to talk to him about it, but I doubt he’ll listen to me either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it, Ginny, it’s not your fault. I’m sorry to interrupt your homework--”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“--And I’ll see you tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny sighed. Her brother was a mess. What was she going to do with these two?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>************************************************************************************************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron didn’t make it better. He was as cold to Ginny as he was to Hermione (preventing her from trying to fix anything), and then...he made it worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t just the very public, very embarrassing display that made Ginny angry, even after Ron’s ridiculous speech to her. She thought of Hermione’s face the day she had asked Ron to Slughorn’s party, and the hurt in her eyes every time he had been rude to her for no reason…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione had been distant ever since their last conversation, but especially so after Ron and Lavender’s “relationship” began. In spite of what she had said, Ginny had a strong feeling that Hermione blamed her for Ron’s absurdity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She approached the Gryffindor table much more sheepishly than usual one morning and sat across from Hermione, who was sullenly eating her breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” she said quietly, “I heard about the canaries.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not my best moment,” Hermione muttered, not taking her eyes off the paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Personally, I thought it was brilliant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A silence fell between them, and Ginny picked up a bit of toast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were wrong,” Hermione said quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“About Ron. You were wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mouth now full of toast, Ginny shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you he was an unreasonable, immature prat who fancies you. None of that was wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because he’s jealous! He feels like he doesn’t deserve you because he’s got no experience with women! How many times do I need to repeat that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wonder who put that idea into his head,” she said drily, “Or into Lavender's.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny glared. Ron had deserved every bit of what he had gotten--her words and Hermione’s canaries. She had never meant to hurt Hermione, but none of it was Ginny’s fault.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, just move on. Or, I don’t know, beat him at his own game. Like you told me. Find someone else and make him jealous.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That wasn’t really what I meant when I said you should move on from Harry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, the difference is that Ron actually cares, and that I’m better at revenge. You can’t fix the git, so just...make it even worse for him. Find someone he would really hate and take him to Slughorn’s party. You’re smart. You’ll figure something out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione rolled her eyes. Ginny, not in the mood for her pessimism, went to sit with Dean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*************************************************************************************************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t until the incident with Ron’s birthday that Hermione and Ginny fully reconciled. Though Hermione never truly said it, she had clearly realized that Ginny had been right all along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was fortunate to have Hermione on her side while Ginny’s relationship with Dean fell apart. At first, Hermione advised her to tread carefully, and to avoid throwing Dean away over a spat involving Harry. Eventually, though, she seemed to change her tune.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe the relationship has just cooled,” she shrugged. “Not everything has to last.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they had finally made the decision to split, Hermione found Ginny in the library one evening and sat down purposefully next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Need something?” Ginny asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can finish what you’re writing first.”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No use, I’m already more interested in this conversation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione sighed. “Well, Ginny, at the risk of distracting you from your very important OWL preparation...I think it’s time you took your own advice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On what, exactly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry. Make the first move? Snog the prat? I don’t know what changed, but I get the feeling that he fancies you. Might as well go for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny’s heart leapt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you serious?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He seemed much more interested in the status of your relationship with Dean than I ever would have expected. He couldn’t care less about any other bits of school gossip that I mention offhand. Try spending some more time with us, just casually, and I’ll see if I can pick up on anything.”</span>
</p><p><span>Ginny smiled. “Thanks, Hermione. I appreciate it. And hey--Ron and Lavender are over,</span> <span>yeah?”</span></p><p>
  <span>Hermione shrugged. “Not sure I care, but yeah, that seems to have run its course. Now get back to studying!” she ordered, pulling her own large stack of books toward her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only Hermione could expect her to study after a conversation like that one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*************************************************************************************************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the bliss that was her relationship with Harry, Ginny was somewhat shocked that Ron and Hermione still didn’t manage to pull themselves together. They were acting more and more like a couple, but neither would make the first move, and she laughed with Harry about how infuriating they were as they walked the grounds together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was less surprising, but just as infuriating, when Harry ditched her in the wake of all that had happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Part of her knew it had all been too good to be true, anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry’s birthday, Bill and Fleur’s wedding...they were just blissful reprieves in anticipation of overwhelming sorrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And when, just after seeing him again, after nearly a year of waiting, of holding onto any small shard of hope, she heard that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well. She wasn’t surprised, nor was she surprised at the gutted feeling in her chest that reminded her of that awful, tyrannical hope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course he would sacrifice himself; she had expected nothing less.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*************************************************************************************************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like everyone else, she took in the great destruction and rebirth of the Battle with intense and mixed emotion. Fred was gone; the rest were alive; Harry was back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was simply too much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, rather than take it all in, she tapped the shoulder of the exhausted, bushy-haired warrior who had just let go of her brother’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When did it happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione blinked, clearly overwhelmed by the amount of events that could be the answer to Ginny’s question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and Ron. When did it happen?”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione smiled, shaking her head. “At some point during the Battle. Feels so long ago now…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, wait, wait. You mean to tell me that you spent a whole year alone with my brother and you two </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>couldn’t sort this out until it was a life-or-death situation?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione shrugged. “Should have listened to you sooner, I guess. Although Harry wouldn’t have been too pleased. I just dropped everything and kissed him full on the mouth, and Harry was all, ‘There’s a war going on here!’, and everything after that was pretty much a blur…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In spite of themselves, the young women were now practically doubled over with laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could have died! And he </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>had to let </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>make the first move?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What can I say? You know your brother well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They calmed back from joyful celebration to solemn silence, a dichotomy that hung heavy in the air of the Great Hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry will come back to you, you know. He never stopped thinking about you. I know it,” Hermione continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny stared at her for a long second, then nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. It’s so hard to know where to go from here, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe somewhere normal?” Hermione suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully. It’ll be a long road from here to there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny looked over at Harry, practically slumped over with exhaustion as person after person approached to thank and congratulate him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Worth it.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This has been in my head for literal years, and getting back into fanfiction fairly recently has finally given me the motivation to write it down.</p><p>I always wanted to see more of Ginny's perspective!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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